What’s up with down? How to decipher the details and choose the right comforter

Here are a few things that you should consider when choosing the right ones for you and your family. 

1 | DO YOU WANT DOWN OR DOWN FREE?

A popular filler for comforters, pillows, and outerwear, down is soft, fluffy, shaftless clusters from the breasts and underbellies of geese, duck, and other waterfowl. These shaftless clusters give down its soft, fluffy cloud-like loft. White goose down is the top-of-the-line down fill for these bedding basics.

Though it is naturally hypoallergenic, some sleepers are still sensitive to down. So we also offer hypoallergenic Primaloft®, Core-Loft®, and other top-quality, poly-based down-alternatives in the collection. These fills give sleepers down-free options without compromising the warmth and luxurious loft of all-natural down.

DID YOU KNOW?
All of the comforters and duvet inserts in our collection are made using responsibly-sourced down and/or feathers. 

2 | HOW WARM DO YOU WANT YOUR BED?

Fill power is the volume that one ounce of down will fill when measured in cubic inches. The higher the fill power, the more insulating the down. Most of our down comforters are made for all-season use, but their luxurious fills tend to range from 550 to 800 fill power, so it’s important to consider fill power when choosing your layer.

DID YOU KNOW?
Down-alternative inserts do not include fill power because of the nature of their poly-material fill. We often label them with warm, warmer, and warmest descriptions to help you find the best insulating fill for you.

3 | WHICH DEFINING DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

• From double-needle construction that keeps the fill from leaking to the piping and seam finishing, every detail adds to the design of a piece.
• Ranging from Supima® to organic cotton, their quality fabric shells are tightly woven to further prevent leakage.
• Sewn-through box stitching helps keep the fill in place and evenly distributed to keep your comforter looking great year after year.   

DID YOU KNOW?
The shells for our Signature comforters and pillows are jacquard woven with subtle Garnet Hill patterning sewn right into the design. It’s a testament to the quality of the fabric!

4 | ARE YOU PLANNING ON USING A DUVET COVER?

Duvet covers make it easy to switch up the look of your bed and reduce the frequency with which you need to wash the comforter/duvet insert inside. Many of our bedding collections include duvet covers, giving you options for cover’s fabrication and look from season to season.

Many people prefer the coziness of flannel in the winter and cool, crisp, percale in the warmer seasons. Sateen and Relaxed Linen have become year-round staples for sleep comfort.

DID YOU KNOW?
Our comforters and duvet inserts are equipped with loops in each corner that correspond with ties inside each duvet cover. These loops and ties allow you to anchor the insert in place to prevent shifting for a neater look on the bed.

HOW TO PUT ON A DUVET COVER
For a quick, easy way to put on a duvet cover, watch our video.

If you want color and pattern without adding a duvet-cover layer to the bed, we recommend our down and down-free Essential Collections. They include comforters, blankets, and throws. Comforters are designed to cover the top of the bed; blankets are sized to cascade, drape, and tuck in within your bedding ensemble.

What comforter and duvet-insert designs best suit you and your family? For our current assortment, explore our current home collection and bedding basics.